Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 1

Considerations and Recommendations for Cole County’s Schools With permission from the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health, Cole County Health Department has adapted guidance to support Cole County schools in determining their plans and strategies for reopening schools. Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools provides a tiered approach with clear, actionable steps that are advisable before students and employees return to school buildings, along with guidance that is applicable throughout the 2020-2021 school year.

This approach is built upon the guidance and recommendations of health officials; it is strongly aligned to the reopening guidelines that have been provided by our state and federal leaders; and it’s designed to help Cole County schools prioritize the health and safety of students and teachers as they open school buildings and deliver instruction for the 2020-2021 school year.

Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools focuses heavily on the health and physical requirements necessary for reopening school buildings. The Cole County Health Department will continue to provide guidance and recommendations to schools on navigating the academic, social, and emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and employees.

Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools

Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools provides considerations, recommendations, and best practices to ensure a safe and successful 2020-2021 school year. This guidance is not mandated, or state required. Schools have the authority and flexibility to meet their individual needs and be responsive to their communities.

Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 2

Addressing Spread in K-12 Schools LEVEL OF COMMUNITY SPREAD (AS DETERMINED BY STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS)

Substantial Spread (substantial community spread of COVID-19; positive cases within school building with extensive contact

investigation within the school building)

Moderate Spread (moderate community spread of COVID-19; positive cases within school

building and contact tracing within the school building)

Low Spread (known COVID-19 in the community; positive case within school building but no exposure to the school building)

Coordinate with local and state DHSS health officials

Participate in contact tracing efforts as directed by local health officials (to the extent feasible)

Schools that are closed, implement distance/remote learning (see Serving School Meals and Supporting Teaching and Learning).

Close off affected areas and if possible, wait 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting.

Consider ways to accommodate needs of children, teachers/staff, and families at higher risk for severe illness (see Protecting Vulnerable Populations for considerations)

For additional guidance on addressing community spread, see the CDC’s Considerations for Schools

Establish and maintain communication with local and state DHSS health officials

Participate in contact tracing efforts as directed by local health officials (to the extent feasible)

Implement enhanced social distancing measures (see Transitioning, Large Group Gatherings, and Teaching and Learning)

Post signage in classrooms, hallways, and entrances to communicate how to stop the spread. COVID-19 symptoms, preventative measures (including staying home when sick), good hygiene, and school/district specific protocols

Establish a protocol for students/staff who feel ill/experience symptoms when they come to school (see When a Child, Staff Member, or Visitor Becomes Sick at School)

Isolate and deep clean impacted classrooms and spaces

Consider ways to accommodate needs of children, teachers/staff, and families at higher risk for severe illness (see Protecting Vulnerable Populations for considerations)

Districts have the authority and flexibility to close school buildings and utilize distance/remote learning as needed.

Establish and maintain communication with local and state DHSS health officials

Participate in contact tracing efforts as directed by local health officials (to the extent feasible)

Post signage in classrooms, hallways, and entrances to communicate how to stop the spread, COVID-19 symptoms, preventative measures (including staying home when sick), good hygiene, and school/district specific protocols

Establish a protocol for students/staff who feel ill/experience symptoms when they come to school (see When a Child, Staff Member, or Visitor Becomes Sick at School)

Consider ways to accommodate needs of children, teachers/staff, and families at higher risk for severe illness (see Protecting Vulnerable Populations for considerations)

Definitions

Face Coverings

Recommendations regarding face coverings differ based on the level of community spread and can be found throughout this document. Information should be provided to staff, students, and families on proper use, removal, and washing of cloth face coverings. Any policy regarding face coverings should be sensitive to the needs of students and staff with medical issues that make the wearing of a face covering inadvisable. > CDC Guidance

Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizers should contain at least 60% alcohol and only used with staff and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer. > CDC Guidance

Clean/Disinfect

Ensure safe and correct application of disinfectants and keep out of reach of children. > CDC Guidance

Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 3

Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools

School District Decision Tree Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools not only provides considerations for school leaders as they develop their own plans for restarting school this fall but provides a flexible framework to address challenges that may develop throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the above District Decision Tree provides a menu of instructional models and responses districts can adopt to ensure the continued success and safety of students and staff members.

Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 4

Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools

Level of Community Spread (as determined

by state and local health officials)

Substantial Spread RECOMMENDATIONS

Moderate Spread RECOMMENDATIONS

Low Spread RECOMMENDATIONS

Practicing Prevention

District/School Considerations:

Teach and reinforce good hygiene measures such as handwashing, covering coughs, and face coverings

Provide hand soap and hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, paper towels, and no-touch trash cans in all bathrooms, classrooms, and frequently trafficked areas

Post signage in classrooms, hallways, and entrances to communicate how to stop the spread, COVID-19 symptoms, preventative measures (including staying home when sick), good hygiene, and school/district specific protocols.

Clean/disinfect frequently touched surfaces at least daily and shared objects after each use

Allow students and staff to bring hand sanitizer and face masks/coverings to use from home

Allow staff to wear face masks/covering as desired

Take steps to ensure all water systems and features are safe

Use social media and other communications to inform parents, students, and staff about COVID-19 symptoms, preventative measures, good hygiene, and school/district specific protocols

CDC Guidance

Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Schools

Guidance for Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown

How to Protect Yourself and Others

COVID-19 and Children

Communication Tools

COVID-19 Symptoms

Return to School

Roadmap for Facilities

Missouri’s COVID-19 Hotline

Call: 877-435-8411

Crisis Contacts Missouri Department of Mental Health Disaster Distress Helpline 800-985-5990, or Text “TalkWithUs” to 66746

Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 5

Transporting Students

If school buildings are closed, use buses to deliver meals to students and families

District/School Considerations:

Reduce contact by delivering a week’s worth of meals during a designated time (ex: delivering a week’s work of meals every Monday)2

If schools remain open, follow Moderate Spread recommendations and these additional considerations:

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces on the bus after each route

2Subject to future USDA meal waiver

approval

District/School Considerations:

Screen students and bus drivers for symptoms of illness

Utilize spaced seating (to the extent practicable)

Eliminate field trips

Establish protocols for bus stops, loading/unloading students to minimize congregation of children from different households

District/School Considerations:

Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

o Providing hand sanitizer for students and bus drivers

o Allowing bus drivers and students to wear face masks/coverings

o Limiting field trips (to areas of limited/low transmission)

o Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces on the bus at least daily

o Airing out buses when not in use

CDC Guidance

What Bus Operators Need to Know

Entering School Buildings3

3School Calendars: Local school districts have authority over school calendars – meaning they have full authority to set start and end dates, holidays/breaks, and school hours, provided instructional requirements are met.

If school buildings are closed; districts should require only that essential staff report in-person to carry out functions that are absolutely necessary.

District/School Considerations:

District/school leaders must remain vigilant and purposeful as they determine roles, responsibilities, and reporting requirements for staff, refraining from blanket reporting requirements

District/school leaders should leverage virtual tools and platforms wherever possible to conduct essential business and keep in-person reporting to an absolute minimum during school closures

If schools remain open,

Take temperatures and screen for symptoms before entering buildings

District/School Considerations:

Mark spaced lines to enter the building and designate entrance and exit flow paths

Screen students and staff (to the extent practicable):

o Take temperatures at home or before entering buildings

o Isolate and send home if temperature over 100.4°F (38°C)

o Consider safety and privacy concerns (confidentiality should be maintained)

Establish a protocol for visitors: calling front office before entering, screening visitors, allow use of face coverings/masks, etc. Restrict nonessential visitors and volunteers.

Establish a protocol for student pick up and drop off: staggered entry and release (by grade, class, or bus numbers), marked spacing for pickup

Keep doors open in the morning at drop off time and while students arrive to the classroom

District/School Considerations:

Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

o Provide hand sanitizer for students and staff

o Limit unnecessary congregations of students and staff

o Post signage in classrooms, hallways, and entrances to communicate how to stop the spread, COVID-19 symptoms, preventative measures (including staying home when sick), good hygiene, and school/district specific protocols

o Establish a protocol for students/staff who feel ill/experience symptoms (see When a Child, Staff Member, or Visitor Becomes Sick at School)

o Establish a protocol for visitors: calling front office before entering, allow use of face coverings/masks, etc.

When moving to a higher level of spread, continue to follow recommendations from previous level(s) or whichever is more restrictive.

Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 6

Serving Meals

If school buildings are closed;

District/School Considerations:

Practice established social distancing protocols to the greatest extent practicable

Provide PPE to participating staff

Reduce contact by delivering a week’s worth of meals during a designated time (ex: delivering a week’s worth of meals every Monday)2

Distribute printed instructional packets/ materials and district/school communications along with meals

If schools remain open,

Serve meals in classrooms Serve pre-packaged boxes or

bags for each student

District/School Considerations:

Provide hand sanitizer for students and staff

Mark spaced lines to enter the cafeteria and serving lines (to the extent practicable); designate entrances and exit flow paths; stagger use

Alternative Serving Models:

Serving meals in classrooms

Serving meals in cafeterias with:

o Spaced serving lines (marked on floors) o Spaced seating (utilize outdoor space as

practicable and appropriate) o Longer meal periods for more staggered

meal delivery o Consider pre-packaged boxes or bags for

each student instead of traditional serving lines. Avoid sharing of foods and utensils.

o Limit the mingling of students between tables

District/School Considerations:

Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

o Allow student hand washing before and after meal service

o Allow students and staff to wear face masks/coverings

o Conducting cleaning of cafeterias and high-touch surfaces throughout the school day

Transitioning

If schools remain open,

Provide masks for staff and students to wear during transitions.

District/School Considerations:

Limit mixing between groups (to the extent practicable)

For class changes and other transitions throughout the school day:

o Have the same group of students stay with the same staff (all day for young children and as much as feasible for older children)

o Upon arrival at the school building, go directly to the classroom

District/School Considerations:

Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

o Allowing students and staff to wear face masks/coverings while in large group gatherings

o Conducting cleaning of hallways and high-touch surfaces throughout the school day

o Designating areas of the hallway (i.e. lanes) to walk to keep students separated (to the extent practicable)

Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 7

Conducting Large Group Gatherings

If school buildings are closed, all school activities should be cancelled or rescheduled.

If schools remain open, discourage large group gatherings (i.e. field trips, student assemblies, athletic events or practices, special performances, school-wide parent meetings, or spirit nights).

District/School Considerations:

Discourage the congregation of students in parking lots and common areas

Stagger the schedule for large group gatherings (i.e. recess and school meals)

Identify and utilize large spaces (i.e. gymnasiums, auditoriums, outside spaces – as weather permits) for social distancing

District/School Considerations:

Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

o Providing hand sanitizer for students and staff

o Allowing students and staff to wear face masks/coverings

o Limiting unnecessary congregations of students and staff

o Follow Missouri State High School Activities Association guidelines for sporting events and practices

Supporting Teaching and

Learning

If schools remain open,

Survey families to gauge which students may want to conduct their schooling virtually for the 2020- 2021 school year

If school buildings are closed;

District/School Considerations:

Implement a robust Distance Learning Plan

Distribute printed instructional packets/ materials and district/school communications along with meals; designate and communicate collection/drop off points

Resources

Digital Learning Plan template (MDE)

Educator’s Guide to Safe and Effective Video Conferencing (Education Week)

American School Counselor Association

School Counseling During COVID-19: Online Lessons and Resources

School Library Media Specialists

School Media Specialists Can Help During Crisis (School Library Journal)

District/School Considerations:

Traditional Instructional Model Use the master schedule to balance class numbers

as much as possible – remove unused desks and furniture in classrooms; maximize social distancing (to the extent practicable)

Limit physical interaction through partner or group work

Establish distance between the teacher’s desk/board and students’ desks

Identify and utilize large spaces (i.e. gymnasiums, auditoriums, outside spaces – as weather permits) for social distancing

District/School Considerations:

Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

o Providing hand sanitizer for students and staff

o Conducting cleaning of classrooms and high-touch surfaces each day

Establish an academic baseline: o Administer formative assessments

toward the start of the school year o Conduct meetings with teachers to

identify where students are academically

Discuss the shared experience:

o Helping Children Cope with Changes o Talking to Children about COVID-19 o Teaching Through a Pandemic

Prepare for potential future distance/remote learning by increasing current blended learning:

o Develop a digital learning plan o Integrate virtual learning practices:

digitizing lessons requiring a certain number

of online assignments for each grading period

o Schedule specific planned district-

/school-wide digital learning days as part of the traditional school calendar

Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 8

Protecting Vulnerable Populations1

1 Vulnerable Populations -- Elderly individuals and/or individuals with serious underlying health conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and those whose immune system is compromised such as by chemotherapy for cancer and other conditions requiring such therapy.

If schools remain open,

District/School Considerations:

Employ additional nurses, health care aides, and full- time substitute employees

District/School Considerations:

Survey at-risk staff members to gauge their intentions in returning to work while maintaining confidentiality consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable federal and state privacy laws

Survey families with vulnerable children to gauge their intentions in returning to a traditional school setting while maintaining confidentiality consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable federal and state privacy laws

Provide remote/distance learning opportunities for vulnerable student populations in consultation with parents and public health officials

Consult with local board attorneys and district human resources officials to offer special accommodations (such as an alternative teaching assignment) for personnel who are members of vulnerable populations

Adhere to FERPA and HIPAA requirements

Adhere to state and federal employment law and extended leave allowances

Offer an Employee Assistance Program to all staff members

District/School Considerations:

Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

o Provide hand sanitizer for students and staff

o Allow vulnerable students and staff to wear face masks/coverings as appropriate

o Allow an early transition for vulnerable students to go to classes

o Limit large group gatherings/ Interactions for vulnerable students and staff

Colehealth.org Cole County’s Guidance for K-12 Schools | Adapted with permission from Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Public Health | 9

When a Child, Staff Member,

or Visitor Becomes Sick

at School

District/School Considerations:

Work with school administrators, school nurses, and other healthcare providers to identify an isolation room or area to separate anyone who exhibits COVID-like symptoms.

School nurses and other healthcare providers should use Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions when caring for sick people. See: What Healthcare Personnel Should Know About Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Possible COVID19 Infection

Establish procedures for safely transporting anyone who is sick home or to a healthcare facility.

Notify local health officials, staff, and families immediately of a positive case while maintaining confidentiality consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable federal and state privacy laws.

If there is a positive COVID-19 case, close affected school building for the remainder of the day to allow local public health department to perform contact tracing of positive COVID-19 case. Students and staff not identified as a close contact to a positive COVID-19 case will return to school after contact tracing is completed by local public health department.

Close off areas used by a sick person and do not use before cleaning and disinfection. Ensure safe and correct application of disinfectants and keep disinfectant products away from children. Ensure proper hand hygiene is completed after cleaning the area.

Advise positive COVID-19 staff members and children not to return until they have been released by their local public health department.

Inform staff, students, and families that they will be contacted by their local public health department if they are identified as a close contact to a positive COVID-19 case. The local public health department will educate on monitoring for symptoms, isolating at home, and protocols for returning to school.

While the school building is closed, all school activities should be cancelled or rescheduled.

If there is a positive COVID-19 case within the school building that resides in a different county, the positive COVID-19 case will be contacted by that local public health department, and the contact tracing will be conducted with the assistance of that local public health department.

If a student or staff member resides in a county that has more restrictive orders in place, that student or staff member is still encouraged to attend school in Cole County.

CDC Guidance

Symptoms of Coronavirus

What Healthcare Personnel Should Know About Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Possible COVID-19 Infection

Standard Precautions

Transmission-based Precautions

For additional information, go to:

Colehealth.org | Cole County Health Department